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Cover of Sukey and the Mermaid by Robert D. San Souci

Picture book · Children

Sukey and the Mermaid

written by Robert D. San Souci, illustrated by Brian Pinkney

32 pages · 1996

Honors

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About the book

A mermaid offers a young girl a magical escape in this lushly told and luminously illustrated Coretta Scott King Honor–winning picture book.

Sukey’s new step-pa is a mean, bossy man she calls “Mister Hard-Times.” He makes her work in his garden all day and Sukey’s ma doesn’t seem to care. One day, when her step-pa isn’t looking, Sukey takes her chance to run away to her secret hiding place by the sea.

There, she meets Mama Jo, a beautiful black mermaid. Mama Jo’s got a surprise for Sukey: a magical kingdom beneath the sea without time or pain. But there are also no people. Is it really better than the world above?

For parents

No age or grade range recorded.

Grade ranges are editorial guidance. Every reader is different.

No content notes recorded.

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